NASTASCHA Harduth is a Glenvista resident who is a director at Werksmans Attorneys in Sandton and has been involved in giving advice on the informal restructuring of distressed companies, business rescue procedures and both voluntary and compulsory liquidations.
She has certainly had an interesting upbringing. Her father is a chartered accountant and her mother is a yoga teacher. As a result, she is guided by economic practicalities on the one hand, and a deep spirituality on the other. She believes that these two characteristics need not be mutually exclusive.
Nastascha has always lived in the South of Johannesburg. “In 2010 I moved to Sandton to be closer to work, but that did not last long as I missed my family too much – they are everything to me,” she said.
The ex Dalmondeor pupil attended the National School of the Arts in Braamfontein to major in drama. She then moved to Canada with her parents for four months, whereafter she returned to South Africa and matriculated from Die Fakkel High School. She then enrolled to complete the INSOL International’s Global Insolvency Practice Course. INSOL International is a world-wide federation of national associations for accountants and lawyers who specialise in turnaround and insolvency. It currently has over 10,000 members.
Read more in INSOL: https://www.insol.org/
Initially, Nastascha chose science as a career and proceeded to study at Rand Afrikaans University to complete a Bachelors Degree in chemistry and biochemistry. After Nastascha graduated from her B.Sc (Hons), she started studying towards a law degree, which she completed cum laude.
After eight years of studying Nastascha eventually started her Articles as a candidate attorney with Werksmans Attorneys in Sandton. In 2014 Nastascha became a director of Werksmans Attorneys where she specialises in corporate insolvency law.
Despite her achievements, Nastascha is most proud of her family and her faith in God.
“My family and my relationship with the Almighty is what I treasure the most in life. I am married to a wonderful man and have a gorgeous little boy. I have the most wonderfully supportive parents and sister,” she said.
Nastascha explained how the course focuses on the mechanics of cross border insolvencies and how international insolvency issues in a large part of the world, are solved. The last module entailed a simulation which involved a video conference motion before judges of the US and the UK courts. It entailed almost two weeks of negotiations and court proceedings before six judges from five jurisdictions. Nastascha recalls that this was the most gruelling module.
“Few enterprises are purely domestic. Almost all significant restructuring and insolvencies are multi-jurisdictional. This course has provided me the necessary tools to be successful in the new world of global insolvency practice. One of the greatest outcomes of the course has been the relationships I have developed with professionals from around the world,” said Nastascha when asked about the benefits of this course.
Having successfully completed this course and having been placed within the top ten of her class Nastascha has, from July 1, become the first female South African Fellow of INSOL International. She is also a member of the committee that will arrange INSOL International’s regional conference in New York, next year.
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